U.S President Donald Trump on Sunday reiterated his warning of potential military intervention in Nigeria, citing the killings of Christians in the country, even as the Nigerian presidency suggested diplomatic talks to address the issue.
Speaking to AFP aboard Air Force One, Trump was asked if U.S. forces could be deployed on the ground in Nigeria or if airstrikes were being considered.
He replied, “Could be, I mean, a lot of things, I envisage a lot of things,”
“They’re killing the Christians and killing them in very large numbers. We’re not going to allow that to happen.”
On Saturday, in a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he had requested the Pentagon to develop a potential plan of attack in Nigeria.
He warned that if the killings were not stopped, the United States might act, describing any action as “fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians.”
Daniel Bwala, spokesman for Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, told AFP that Nigeria welcomes U.S support in combating terrorism, provided it respects the country’s sovereignty.
He stressed that Trump’s post should not be taken literally, suggesting it could be a tactic to prompt a meeting between the two leaders.
“We know that Donald Trump has his own style of communication,” Bwala said.
He noted that any differences regarding whether terrorists target only Christians or people of all faiths in Nigeria could be resolved in a direct discussion between the presidents, either at the State House in Abuja or the White House in Washington.
Earlier, Trump had claimed that “thousands of Christians are being killed” in Nigeria and blamed radical Islamist groups for the attacks.
Nigerian authorities, however, have disputed the claim, stating that Christians are not disproportionately targeted and that the characterization of the country as religiously intolerant does not reflect reality.
President Tinubu echoed this position on social media Saturday, reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to fighting terrorism while maintaining religious harmony.
